Massive lunchtime queue spotted outside one of Edinburgh's hottest new seafood restaurants

This picture of the huge queue outside Fin and Grape was taken at noon on Saturday, February, 20. Photo credit: David Key.

The Colinton Road seafood and wine restaurant opened last year in the former premises of Bia Bistrot and finds itself going from strength to strength, even as lockdown restrictions remain in place.

The picture of the long queue was snapped outside Fin and Grape by a passerby at midday on Saturday.

Owner and chef Stuart Smith, told the Evening News: “It’s been a bit of a manic day.

"The first person arrived in the queue an hour and 20 minutes before we opened and it’s just not stopped.”

On Saturday’s, the most popular takeaway dish is Fin and Grape’s lobster rolls, but customers were warned on Friday night via social media that the restaurant had a limited supply this week.

Mr Smith continued: “There were people in the queue that had been waiting since before we opened at 12pm and the lobster rolls were gone before they even got to the front, it was unbelievable.”

The restaurant offers a “grab and go” service between 12pm and 3pm on Friday, Saturday and Sunday’s, and a pick-up service for the evening between 3pm and 4pm.

Mr Smith said: “We’re dying to get customers back in and get back to the service that we're used to, but at the moment this is making the treading water process an awful lot easier.

"As a new business it’s not just about getting some cash in the till, it’s about building up some goodwill within the community and that’s what this is doing, the support has been absolutely fantastic.”

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